Friday, February 27, 2009

Lookie what I made!!

I am so proud of myself. It is well known in my family that I CAN NOT sew. I have tried and tried in the past. Both my Mom and my Step Mom have tried to teach me... numerous times, but usually I just make a mess!

The sewing machine somehow manages to get away from me and stitch things that aren't supposed to be stitched. I stick and poke myself with the pins, pin things together that don't go together and on and on and on...

BUT suddenly I CAN SEW! I took on this little handbag first, just for fun. I have been knitting for a few years and enjoy designing my own things, like sweaters for my little dog, scarves, washclothes, pretty easy stuff... so I thought "I can design a little hand bag and I'll just sew it by hand!" And I DID it! I am so proud of myself right now, I just had to share =)

This is the front of the little hand bag. I used brown felt for the outside with raspberry embroidery floss to sew it all together. I lined it with a pretty bright blue felt.

Here is a picture of the inside. There is a pocket on each side...

I made this little applique out of other felt and the center of the flower is a button. The handles are just foot long dowels! I think it's so cute and it works well too! I plan on painting the dowels brown to match and then it will be finished!

So after that, I thought I was pretty impressive. I moved onto a drawstring back pack. I've been needing one for when I go on walks and bike rides with the boys, but they are so expensive! I looked one over at the store the other day and thought it couldn't be too hard. Well it wasn't exactly easy, but I did manage it!! Again, no pattern, I just looked at the draw string back pack that my boys have and figured it out as best I could. I had to make up a few things, but it WORKS! I am so excited!!

It's a linen fabric, double up to make it a little stronger. I embroidered the flowers onto the front by hand, then sewed it all up, by hand =)

It's not white, but a nice off white. The cording is natural cotton clothesline cord that I had in the closet! (This is all stuff I had around the house, I didn't have to go buy anything except an embroidery hoop.)

So there you go! I DID it! I have all kinds of ideas in my head now. I can barely cut up t-shirts fast enough to provide myself with fabric! I found an idea in a magazine on how to make grocery bags out of used t-shirts. I've sewed up a few, it would go faster with a sewing machine, but I enjoy doing it by hand.

3 comments:

Cool! Sarah and Hannah and I love the brown purse! So cool! I am proud of you! I love to sew, but can't follow a pattern very well. I love to look at things and then try to make them... try an old pair of jeans to make a purse, cut the legs off, hem them, use the legs for straps, cut what you need. Then add a velcro strip, or a button closure, and your good to go.... the girls love these.... you can make them in small, med, or large, even extra large... hehehehe.... Better go for now, congrats.... great job!. Love to all, Lori and girls

Oh my goodness! They are greeeaaat! You know, Christmas is just 9 months away and I do love a good backpack... lol! I just shared with Aunt Cheri and she thought they were very cute too. I must confess that I told her I hated you cause you're so creative. But, that's not really true. I love you! And great job! Love you!